Landscape diversity and local temperature, but not climate, affect arthropod predation among habitat types.

ABSTRACT: Arthropod predators are important for ecosystem functioning by providing top-down regulation of insect herbivores. As predator communities and activity are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors on different spatial scales, the strength of top-down regulation ('arthropod predation') is also likely to vary. Understanding the combined effects of potential drivers on arthropod predation is urgently needed with regard to anthropogenic climate and land-use change. In a large-scale study, we recorded arthropod predation rates using artificial caterpillars on 113 plots of open herbaceous vegetation embedded in contrasting habitat types (forest, grassland, arable field, settlement) along climate and land-use gradients in Bavaria, Germany. As potential drivers we included habitat characteristics

SUBMITTER: Fricke U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9053821 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature